The Foundation
The Fondation Plaza thrives to build a new future for the Plaza cinema and the Mont-Blanc Centre building, designed by architect Marc J. Saugey. Created in 2019, the Foundation is chaired by Jean-Pierre Greff, former director of the HEAD – Genève, University of Art and Design. An architectural competition is organized in 2020 to launch the restoration of Marc J. Saugey’s masterpiece. The winning firm, FdMP architects, is in charge of the renovation of this jewel of post-war modernist architecture. The future Plaza will be composed of various exhibition and immersive spaces, a bar, a restaurant and a hotel. A true innovative cultural venue in downtown Geneva.
The reopening of the Plaza is planned for the end of 2026.
The Team
General and Artistic Director
Fabien Gaffez
Director of Communications & Development
Sandra Mudronja
Cultural Project Coordinator
Nefeli Skarmea
Administrative Coordinator
Claire Delaloye
Digital Communications Manager
Steven Wagner
Media Relations Manager
Francesca Serra
Archivist
Reda Bennani
Foundation Board
Jean-Pierre Greff, President of the Foundation
Art and design historian, teacher and curator, Jean-Pierre Greff was born in 1957 in Lorraine (France). He graduated in Film and Audio-visual Studies from the University of Metz in 1982 and is the author of numerous prefaces and essays on photography, art and literature, art and communication, post-war art in France, as well as on many artists. After having directed the Haute école des arts décoratifs de Strasbourg from 1993 to 2004, Greff became director of the ESBA, Ecole supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Genève, before taking the helm in 2007 of HEAD – Genève, Geneva University of Art and Design, whose creation he helped form. Jean-Pierre has lead HEAD until 2022.
Emmanuel Cuénod, Director of the PCN, Pôle de Création numérique
Carmen Jaquier, director and screenwriter
Natacha Koutchoumov, actress, stage director, consultant
Marc Maugué, General Secretary, FHW
